The 1993 Fleer baseball card series 2 release was one of the most highly anticipated series of the early 1990s. Fleer had taken over the official MLB licensing in 1991 after Topps had held it for decades. Their inaugural sets in 1991 and 1992 were widely popular among collectors. For the 1993 season, Fleer split their regular release into two series for the first time. This allowed them to feature more players and stats from the early season.
Series 2 was released in June 1993, about halfway through the regular MLB season. It contained 234 total cards with one card per player. Rosters would now be updated from the first Series 1 released earlier that spring. Notable rookies in the set included Jason Giambi, Lance Berkman, Jermaine Dye, and Todd Hollandsworth. Veteran superstars like Barry Bonds, Cal Ripken Jr., and Ken Griffey Jr. also garnered collector interest.
The design of the 1993 Fleer cards remained largely similar to the prior year. They featured action shots of players on a white background with team logos at the bottom. Card numbers were displayed prominently on the front. The most noticeable change was the addition of a gold Fleer logo at the top of the card fronts. This ran counter to the simplicity that Topps cards were known for but helped establish Fleer as the new look in the baseball card market.
Statistics featured on the backs of the cards remained basic, listing batting and career pitching stats through the first two months of the 1993 season. No minor league stats or birthdates were included yet. The back designs also included a headshot photo of each player as well as their standard player bio with height, weight, andThrowback position.
As the first update set of the year, the 1993 Fleer Series 2 cards brought many collector-favorite players into the modern Fleer design for the first time. Superstars like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Cal Ripken Jr. had created enormous popularity for their original Fleer rookie and base cards in the preceding two years. Their new Series 2 issue cards gave collectors a chance to update their collections with these rising talents.
The update also featured many of the early season statistical leaders. Kirby Puckett’s .357 batting average and 29 RBI through the All-Star break made his Series 2 card very desirable. Similarly, Ron Gant hitting 18 home runs before June attracted collectors searching to document the league’s top performances in ’93. Players who had excelled in the early going or saw more playing time received greater representation in the set compared to Series 1.
Condition has always been a challenge for Fleer cards from this early period considering how many ended up in the hands of eager younger collectors. But top-graded examples of keys from the 1993 Fleer Series 2 sell quite robustly today. A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. recently auctioned for over $1,000. The same grade of a Frank Thomas rookie fetches around $500 in today’s market. Even more common veteran stars can bring $50-100 in top condition reflective of the vintage 1990s collector demand.
Series 2 provided the first extended look at many of the game’s future stars who were just breaking in during 1993 as well. Derek Jeter, Jeff Bagwell, and Johnny Damon all made their rookie card debut in the set at a time before their immense talents were fully apparent. These young players helped give the issue set longterm appeal even for collectors not actively following the season at the time of release.
Overall the 1993 Fleer baseball card Series 2 release was very well received and helped cement Fleer as a premier brand in the industry. It well represented the statistical leaders and breakout players of the first half of a memorable 1993 season. Condition remains the main criteria for high values with this early Fleer vintage in today’s market. But for anyone collecting the stars of the 1990s, inclusion of a Series 2 issue of Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. or Cal Ripken Jr. in their collection is considered essential by many. Its combination of mainstream stars and future Hall of Famers gave the 1993 Fleer baseball cards Series 2 a classic aura that has endured for collectors to this day.
